To some he is known as "Horny." Those who attended Jersey Township High School in the late 1920's knew him as "Squawk horn." And to residents of Jerseyville he is known as a model citizen.

With the help of Chris Skinner and Tom Goetten, I got the opportunity to meet Paul Horn. At 93, Horn is the oldest living football player in Jersey history. He was born October 20, 1911 in Jerseyville. Paul was the only child, and lived with his parents just a couple of doors down from where he currently calls home. His father John was a tailor.

Horn saw his first football action in the 1926-27 season as a freshman. "The Coach didn't like me, so he put me in to stop him", Horn replied when I asked him what his most memorable football moment was. This particular incident involved future Chicago Bear captain and NFL Hall of Fame inductee, George "Moose" Musso. At the time, Musso was a member of the Collinsville Kahoks. "He damn near killed me" he said with a chuckle, they beat us 62-6."

The year 1927 also rekindled another unusual memory. Paul went to Greenfield for a basketball game by train and came home by train. "We had a railroad back in those days that ran to Springfield and then back through Greenfield, those were the good old days." Horn continued by saying that nobody had any money and nobody worried about it. Horn then said with a bit of sarcasm, "The reason I got to play is because I had a football and a basketball, if they wouldn't let me play, I would just take my football and basketball and go home."

Horn attended Illinois College upon graduation in hopes of becoming a doctor. His fondest memory from college was a track meet race against Ronald Reagan, who attended Eureka College. Reagan won the race while Horn finished third; "If I would have caught him, I would have been vice president," he joked.

Paul married his high school sweetheart, Ginny in 1931 and have one daughter, Janet Feyerabend. Janet also resides in Jerseyville after a career in travel and tourism. The Horn's have been married for 73 years, Ginny is 92. Horn owned and operated three movie theatres and was a banker before becoming a general insurance agent. The agency, "Whitworth-Horn-Goetten" is still in existance today.

Until just recently the Horn's made every Jersey football game. "Dewey Skinner was the best football player to ever wear a Panther uniform, it seemed like he scored every time he got the ball," Horn exclaimed. Quite a compliment coming from someone whose lettermen sweater sits in the Jerseyville historical museum. "I am the oldest living three time (football, basketball and track) letterman around," Horn said in closing.

As I sat there I couldn't help but wish I was Marty McFly from the movie "Back to the Future". How great it would be to travel back in time just for a day or two. I can almost feel the vibration of that train as we head to Greenfield or the  smell of the leather helmet that Paul strapped on just before entering that game against Collinsville in 1927. But then I realized how lucky I was just to be sitting in the Horn living room and hearing all these wonderful stories first hand.

To those who pose the curious question, "Why are you so interested in documenting the long ago past?" Well thats easy, I do it for all the current players that I have enjoyed watching. I do it for all of my favorite players from the recent past and I do it for all those players that I never